Improved camp-bedstead



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES WHITE, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

IMPROVED CAM P-BEDSTEAD.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 33,724, dated November 12, 1861.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES I/VHITE, of Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Oamp-Bedsteads; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and complete description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view. Fig. 2 is a top View. Fig. 3 is a side View with the headpiece turned down as in Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a view of the bedstead when packed up ready for transportation.

The nature of my invention relates to such a construction of camp-bedsteads that all the parts can be folded up and packed into a compact form for transportation without detaching a single part thereof and still possess the requisite firmness and durability for effective camp service, combined with lightness and convenience, and being also adapted to hospital use. i l

The side pieces A A are made from substantial timber in width about two and a half inches, two inches thick, and five and a half feet in length. To each side piece is attached by hinges two legs B of about one foot in length with tenons that fit into mortises, as seen at C, Fig. 3. The shoulder of the tenon on the legs is cut beveling, so that it stands bracing outward, as in Fig. 1. There are hooks and staples attached to the under side of the rails outside of the legs and a staple inserted into the leg, into which the hook is inserted, thus securing the leg from moving in either direction.

The end pieces D are secured to the side pieces A by a mortise and pin-joint, as seen at D. The opposite end E passes into a gain cut in the ends of the rails A and projects, say, one inch or more outside of the rail, and to the end pieces upon the inside of the rail A is afiixed a cam F for stretching the canvas G after it is nailed upon the side rails, as seen at G, Figs. 1 and 2.

The head-pieces H H are secured to the rails A A by but-ts or hinges, as seen at I I in Fig. 1, and to which the canvas is nailed in the same manner as in the body of the bed. The lower ends of the pieces H H are provided with tenons with bevel-shoulders, the tenons fitting into bevel-mortises in such a way as to give support to the head-pieces in their inclined position, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2.

The end piece K, Fig. 2, is hinged to the outer end of the piece H. The opposite end shuts into again in the end of the piece H, which is formed into an inclined plane, so that the shoulder of the piece K is caused to press against it to tighten the canvas. At the middle of this piece K and the foot-piece D is a button, to which the canvas is fastened, thus preventing the pieces from moving outward when the bed is in use. The head-piece is supported at any desired elevation by the standards L, which are attached to the head pieces by a pin-joint.

When this bedstead is in a condition for use, it is spread and arranged as seen in Fig. 1. When not needed for use, it can be folded up by first laying the head-piece over upon the body part, as seen in Fig. 2. Then by re-' leasing the hooks O the legs can be folded inward, as in Fig. 3, the piece K folded upon H, the pieces D folded upon A, when the whole can be rolled up and secured by one or more straps M, as seen in Fig. 4, in which con dition it is ready for transportation. The straps M are secured to the under side of the canvas by rivets to preserve them from being mislaid. It will thus be seen that all the parts are united and none of them can get outof place and requiring less than one min ute of time to make it ready for use.

NVhat I claim as my improvement, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The pieces D D and cams F, in combination with the side pieces A A, head-pieces H, H, and K, legs B, and canvas G, when these several parts are constructed, arranged, and operated as and for the purpose specified.

JAMES WHITE. Witnesses:

J. BRAINERD, W. H. BURRIDGE. 

